We all have our faces in our phones already so why not grow our business and make some serious money while we're at it?! I used to scroll through my personal Instagram and Facebook account at LEAST 3 times a day. Social media is addicting and I can't stay away! Now, I have transferred that energy into my business accounts. I'm definitely not just sitting there wasting time. I'm "working" haha!

Social media for business can be extremely time consuming yet rewarding. I want to talk to you about how to reach the masses through these outlets without spending ALL of your time on your accounts, and how to grow your business on your favorite platforms!

In the beginning, my biggest mistake

was trying to be present on all platforms.

In the beginning, my biggest mistake was trying to be present on all platforms. Even though we are our own bosses, have accomplished the unaccomplishable, and still manage to shower in between, we only have 24 hours each day. Each hour is precious and you have to use each one wisely. Long story short, I wasted about two weeks juggling too many social media accounts before I realized that I was treading water. It's ok to narrow in on your audience and narrow in on your platforms. You want to optimize your time, not spread it extremely thin.

Save time and don't make the same mistakes!

Of course, I have something special for you at the end!

10 Ways To Stand Out and Grow Your Business Social Media Accounts (without spending any money):

Narrow in on your audience and post specifically FOR THEM! You will want your post content to focus on your ideal client and what they like and/or need. Building your business accounts takes time and effort. You don’t want to waste time pursuing people who will not convert into clients or be engaging followers of your brand.

More is not always merrier! I know many entrepreneurs who try to reach people on all social media platforms. It sounds like it would be a good idea to make yourself present for all of the millions of people on each platform, but it's not. You will spread yourself too thin. You don't have the capacity to manage a business and 10 different social media accounts daily. You want to thrive on your favorite platforms. That takes time and consistency. There aren't enough hours in the day to be AWESOME on every platform. You will devalue your brand by being sloppy all over the place. Also, your ideal client isn't on every social media platform. This means that some of your accounts won't even convert and you may end up wasting a lot of time. If you don’t absolutely LOVE a social media platform then you’re not going to perform very well on it. “Trying” to be active on a social media platform that turns you off will actually discredit your brand and your new image. Which social media platforms are you just not that into? Which ones do you love? Which ones do your ideal clients hang out on? Choose 2-4 accounts and work them diligently.

Have attractive and valuable content posted the minute you go live! When you start to put yourself out there, the people who visit your account need an incredible first impression of you. You want them to be able to remember you, to linger a little longer on your account, to like a few things and to ultimately FOLLOW you! How do you do this? You have a mini portfolio already in place the second you launch your account. Have you ever been to someone’s new account where they’ve only posted one photo or status? Hello! Not interesting! Not wasting a follow on that chick! Am I right?? People are going to want to follow you and start sharing your content from the get go because you are already going to have some super good stuff on your account. Create 5-10 posts that are enticing and memorable. Post them as soon as you open your account. You never know who will stumble on your account immediately!

Do you have a professional profile image? Your profile picture should be professional and the same or have a similar look on all accounts. Consistency! This is how your clients will recognize you in the beginning. Your potential clients need consistency at first because it takes a minimum of 5 interactions with you before they remember your name.

Write a relatable 'about me' or bio. Your tiny bio section is usually limited to about 150 characters. Not enough space to tell anyone about anything. You have to get strategic and there are a few things that you should consider including to make the best impression on your new audience and to benefit your business the most. Tell them what you do! You’re the new expert on the block and these folks need to know what you do. What if you’re exactly who they've been looking for?! You can also include something slightly personal. I like to call it a personality statement (let them know you are human and a cool one at that). Last but not least, your email address needs to be plastered in your bio so that they can contact you easily.

Post visually attractive images to go along with your content. We live in a world full of pretty pictures and graphics. Your content may be great but if the consumer’s visual experience isn’t top notch you won’t stand out, your visitors will be less likely to remember you, and you will appear as less of a professional. Virtual business builders are viewed as less professional and as less of an expert if their website, graphics, fonts, colors, or pictures look anything less than awesome. 50% of your potential client's and client's satisfaction will come from your style and their visual experience.

Create a style guide. A style guide is a document of your brand's colors and fonts. You want to have a cohesive style throughout your accounts and you want your audience to be able to see an image and already have an idea that it's yours. Choose 2-4 colors and document the HEX # of each color. You will need the HEX (six-digit number that represents a color on your computer) to create your very specific color on your website, logo, font, etc. Choose no more than 3 fonts. If you will be creating a lot of infographics, you don't want to overwhelm your followers with sporadic fonts.

Socialize with your audience! Follow and connect with people in your niche. Search for hashtags that are popular in your niche and connect with people using them. Like their posts, comment on their stuff, and interact with them. Make them see you multiple times and then multiple more times. Build relationships with them. Be SOCIAL!!! You also want to form relationships with other professionals in your niche. You will need to collaborate with them later!

Use hashtags to get noticed. Hashtags are extremely powerful! People search for hashtags, just like you will, to find other people with related interests. On Instagram, you can use up to 30 hashtags, and I recommend you use up every single one at the very bottom of your post or as a comment under your post! On Twitter and Facebook make sure they are relevant and don’t appear spammy (so don't use 30 hashtags on these platforms, that's icky). To find the most beneficial hashtags for your niche, you will need to do a little research. Find a few successful accounts that have the same or similar social media goals and see what hashtags they are using.

GO FOR IT! You don’t need your product, your packages, or even a website to start building your business. Online businesses take time to build because it takes time to grow your audience. That’s why it's ok to start with social media, to get your name and ideas out there! Taking a leap and going public with your business can be terrifying, but I know you can do it! You have to start somewhere. It doesn’t have to be perfect, especially not at first, but you do have to START!

Get out there and be social. Engage with your peeps and build relationships. It's not hard and it makes your "job" a lot more fun!

Need a cheat sheet that walks you through setting up your business social media accounts optimally and using them for success? Download it below.